Locomotive spark-extinguisher.



J. PLAYER. LocoMoTIvE SPARK EXTINGUISHB APPLIOATION FILED JUNE 2, 1909. A 951,994, Patented Mar. l5, 1910.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

WITNESSES J. PLAYER. LOUOMOTIVE SPARK EXTINGUISHER.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE Z, 1909.

.Patented Mair. 15, 1910.

.4 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

WITNESSES fm a/mw 5% J. PLAYER. LOGOMOTIVE SPARK- EXTINGUISHER.

I APPLICATION FILED JUNI! 2, 1909. 95 I ,994.,

Patented Mar. 15,1910.

4 SHEETS-SHEBT 3.

FIG@

FIG. 9.

JQ PLAYER. LOOOMOTIVE SPARK EXTINGUISHBR. APPLIoATIoH FILED :rtm1:

Patentedfval. 15, 1910.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

Pl FIE.

JOHN PLAYER, or scHENEc'raDY, NEW vomi.

" LOCOMOTIVE SPARK-EXTINGUISHER.

To all whom fit may concern: c

Be it known that I, JOHN PLAYER, of

Schenectady, in the county of Schenectady and State of New York, have invented a certain new and useful Im rovement in Locolnotive Spark-Extinguis ers, of which improvement the following is a specification.

The object of my invention is to provide a spark extinguisher for locomotive or other engines in which the draft upon the fire is created by a steam blast jet in the smoke stack, by the employment of which a gyrating motion will be imparted to the gaseous and solid products of' combustion, prior to and during their traverse through an open smoke stack, and in which the solid products of combustion will, by the centrifugal force induced inf' their gyration, be thrown outward towardthe wall of the smoke stack, and spirally rotatedy therein and entirely extingulshed before they are ejected therefrom by the blast jet.

To this end, my invention, generally stated, consists of a spark separator for gyrating the products of combustion prior to and during their passage through the stack, and comprising a plurality of upwardly extending, circumferentially and angularly or turbmally disposed vanes, connected to the base of the smoke stack and` the exhaust pipe, respectively. This apparatus I term a gyrus 4(from the Greek and Latin equivalents) and it will hereinafter be so designated.

The improvementv claimed is hereinafter fully set forth.

In the'accompanyin drawings: Figure 1 is a vertical longitu inal0 central section through the smoke box, stack, and forward portion of the waist of a llocomotive boiler, illustrating an application of my invention; Fig. 2, a vertical transverse section in the central plane ofthe exhaust pipe and stack;

Fig. 3, a horizontal section, taken slightlybelow the base of the stack; Fig. 4, a vertical central section, on an enlarged scale, through the gyrus; Fig. 5, a plan View of the same, with portions of the upper and lower supporting rings broken awayfand a number of the vanes detached; F1 6, a horizontal section through a gyrus, showing the attachment of screens to the vanes; Figs. 7 and 7, Ydiagrammatic horizontal sections showing the vanes of the gyrus as turbinally disposed; Figs. 8,29, and 10, vertical central sections, showing. variations of form, verspecincatian of Letters Patent.

Application filed .Tune 2, 1909. Serial No. 499,667.

tically, in the gyrus vanes; Fig. 11, a vertlcal transverse section through a locomotive smoke box and stack, taken in the central plane of the exhaust pipe and stack, showing a structural modification of my invention; Fig. 12, a vertical longitudinal central section through the same; Fig. 13, a horizontal section, on the line a a of Fig. 11; and, Fig. 14, a similar section, on the line b b of Fig. 12.

A Locomotive spark arresters, as applied in practical railroad service prior to my invention, have generally consisted of a screen of netting or perforated plate, surrounding the exhaust pipe and extending. therefrom to the smoke box, in such manner that no opening for the traverse of products of combustion was presented, around or through the spark arrester, of greater size than the meshes or openings in the screen. Other forms of spark arresters consisted of conical or cylindrlcal screens of netting vor perforated late, encircling the exhaust pipe and exten ing therefrom lto the smoke stack. Combinations o f Vthese devices have also beenv ex erimented withfthe' essential feature .of al of the above appliances being the interposition of a foraminous screen v1n the path of the products of combustion, between ltheir exit from the boiler flues and their entrance intothe stack, and combination with the blast jet. In still earlier desiofns, a screen Patented Mar. 15, 119110.

of wire netting was placed at the top of the smoke stack, which was enlarged for its reception, the object being to interpose a screen in the path of the current of ,commingled exhaust steam and products of combustion, after its entrance into the stack and before its exit to the atmosphere. Additional means -for deflecting and disintegrating the solid products of combustlon, before' passing through the screens, yhave also been applic In many instances bonnet stacks `have been used, these consisting of a cylindrical stach-provided, at its top, with a cone or deflector, against which the products of combustion were forcibly thrown by the velocity of the blast jet, and deflected into a conical receptacle, surrounding the cylindrical inside stack, from vwhich they were ejected by the pressure of the blast between spiral vanes adapted to impart arotation to them. In all appliances of this character, however, the rotation of the lproducts of combustion was begun and accomplished after they had been commingled loo llf)

with the jet of exhaust steam, and the period of rotation that was obtainable, was too short to extinguish the sparks, when the a pliance was of such construction as to permlt the use of exhaust nozzles of sufficiently large size. If the period of rotation was made sufciently long to extinguish thesparks, the friction in the passages was increased to such an extent that it was necessary to so reduce the area of the nozzles, that the backlpressure in the cylinders thereby occasioned,

ecame so great astoimpair the efficiency of the engine and render lts economical operation impracticable. Moreover, it was not possible to maintain sufficient steam pressure in the boiler, owing to the great resistance of the spark arresting appliances, as it was not feasible to maintain 'a blast pressure which would both overcome this resistscreens,

ance and create a suflicient vacuum in the smoke box to support the rate of fuel combustion in the fire box necessary to generate the requisite amount of steam required in the service of the locomotive. Again, the different-fuels used require different sizes of openings in the spark arrester screens. The area of each opening in the screens ordinarily applied with eastern bituminous coals is about .085 square inch; that for fuels used in the Middle West is about .05 square inch; that for the lignitic bituminous fuels of Montana, about .019 square inch; and that for the lignites of Wyoming about only .006 square inch, and, with some of them, about .003 square inch.v Even with the finest of these openings in the spark arrester with ordinary draft appliances when burning li ite fuels, showers of line sparks are ejectenfrom the stack. l

Screens of tine mesh are subject to the objection of being frequently clogged with cinders, and, in the case of lignite fuels, when moisture comes in contact with the screen, as is occasioned by leakage or slopping over from the exhaust nozzle, the screen becomes coated over with a caked deposit, thereby choking the draft and causing the engine to failvfor steam. Moreover, these fine mesh screens are very costly in maintenance, as by reason of their fine texture, they wear out rapidly, especially at points where the draft is more intense, thereby necessitating careful and minute inspection daily, and requiring frequent renewal, the life of such screens in average ordinary 'service not being above about three months.

It has been found in actual practice, that the fine vsparks or oaters that are ,given olf by lignite fuels, which will pass through the finest mesh screens that can be used, and are ejected, in great quantity, from the stack,l and which it has heretofore been impossible to sufficiently and satisfactorily control by' spark arresting appliances in the smoke box or stack, are entirely extinguished in the use of my improvement.

0n railroads where different classes of fuel, which require different sized meshes in the spark arresting screens, are used, it frequently becomes necessary, by reason of labor and other difficulties, to change from one class of fuel to another. It is a well known fact that it is impracticable to burn bituminous coal in a locomotive ,equipped for lignite fuel, and vice versa, and hence, with changes of fuel, it is necessary to change the spark arresters, which involves considerable delay and expense. It is also often necessary at railroad division points, Where lignite is used on one division and bituminous coal on the other, to change engines from one division to the other, as may be required by traffic conditions, thus requiring the change of spark arresters to be made to enable the engines to properl burn the class of fuel obtainable on the ivision 011 which they are to be run.

With my improvement applied, no change in the spark arrester is necessary when changing from one class of fuel to another, and consequently time and expense is saved, and the number of engines required at division points where different classes of fuel are used, is reduced.

Referring to the drawings, my invention is herein exemplified as applied in connection with a locomotive boiler of the type now standard on railroads, and with an exhaust pipe and exhaust nozzle of the types. 10o set forth in Letters Patent of the United Sates N o. 673,726, granted and issued to the Brooks Locomotive Works, as my assignee, under date of May 7, 1901, and in pending applications for Letters Patent filed by me 105 June 17, 1908, Ser. No. 138,912 and February 9, 1909, Ser. No. 476,922. The shell or waist 1, of the boiler, is provided with a plurality of fire tubes, 2, extending from the fire box, which is not shown, to the front 110 tube sheet, 3, through which tubes, the products of combustion pass from the firebox to the smoke box, 4, which is secured, at its rear end, to the front rino' of the shell, 1, and, at its bottom, to the cylinder saddles, 5. The 115 forward end of the smoke box 'is closed by a metal front, 6, having a central door, 7, and it is provided, at its top, with a stack,

8, having a downward extension` or penetration, 10, with a flaring or conical lower 120 end, of comparatively large diameter, within the smoke box. A iattened fioor .of refractory materiahiff", which, however, does not form any part of my present invention, may be placed in the smoke box, if desired.

The exhaust pipe, 12, and 'annular exhaust nozzle, 17, herein illustrated, accord, in all substantial articulars, with those set forth in vmy pending application Ser. No. 476,922 aforesaid. The exhaust pipe is pro- 130 vided with exhaust steam passages, 12, leading into an annular passage, 20. in the nozzle, from which the exhaust steam is discharged through a plurality of passages,11, and a portion of the gases of combustion is drawn, by the vacuum produced by the exhaust jet, through entramment passages, 1G, in the exhaust pipe, and discharged therefrom through a central gas discharge passage,.15. My present'invention is not, however, limited in application to combination with this or any other specific construction of exhaust. pipe and nozzle.

In the practice of my invention, I provide an appliance for imparting a ggrating movement to the .products of com ustion which are discharged from the front ends of the tubes, 2, into the smoke box, prior to.and during their passage through the stack to the atmosphere. This appliance, which, as before stated. I term a gyrus comprises a plurality of vanes or blades, 28, which extend from the bottom of the lower extension, 10, of the stack, to a plane some distance below the top of the exhaust pipe, 12, and are disposed circumferentially and angularly or tangentially, that is to say, with their general lines of direction at angles to radii of circles concentric with 'the exhaust pipe and stack, and means for supporting sald vanes or blades in operative position. Said means are, preferably, as in the instance shown, an upper supporting ring or frame, 29. to which the upper ends of the vanes, 28, are secured, and lwhich is fitted to the extension, 10, of the stack, and a lower supporting ring, 30, to which the lower ends of the vanes are secured, and which rests on an annular plate or flange, 12, on the ex'- haust pipe, 12. The upper supporting ring .may be either attached to the stack extenlsion, 10, or fitted closely thereto without attachment, and the upper and lower supporting rings may either be made each in a single piece, with the vanes detachably secured thereto, or divided into two or more sections, each carrying a certain number of vanes, and themselves made detachable, so as to be readily removable for access to the exhaust nozzle.

In the structural modification., shown in Figs. 11 to 14, the gyrus is divided into two sections, u per and lower, either by constructing tie gyrus in two separate parts, the up er gyrus having a plurality of vanes, 28d, w1th upper' and lower supporting rings, 29a and 30, res ctively, and the lower gyrus having a p urality of vanes, 28, with upper and lower rings, 29b and 30", respectively, or the gyrus vanes ina-y be continu- /ous and a dividing plate 30C, as shown in Fig. 2, inserted to separate the interior of the rus into two sections, theupper portion forming communication, through its-vanes,

between the smoke box and the smoke stack extension, while the lower portion forms communication, through its vaines, between the smoke box and the gas discharge passage, 15, of the exhaust pipe, through its entrainment passages, 16.

The elements of the gyrus may be made of sheet steel, riveted or bolted together, or of cast iron, divided into a suitable number of sections, each containing one or more vanes, and provided with a segment of a supporting ring or flange at its top and bottom, adapted to ready connection and disconnection to and from the stack extension and exhaust pipe, as by` bolts and nuts. The stack extenslon is made of large diameter, so as to provide ample area for the gyration of the products of combustion exterior to the column of exhaust steam. prior to their entraiaiment thereby into the stack, and the stack is preferably made of the increased diameter which is permissible with the type of exhaust pipe and nozzle shown, so as to increase both the circumference and area. Spch increase of diameter of the stack provides a` greater length of circumferential travel for the gyratin'g solid products of combustion, and the increased area softens the draft through the stack and reduces the spiral pitch described by the solid products of combustion, which, in combination with the increased circumferential travel, materially prolongs the period of their passage through the stack.

The gyrus, as shown and as above described, `is appliedinstead of the usual4 spark arrester nett-ing or screen, and, under ordinary conditions, satisfactorily operates without the addition of such screen. Conditions may'. however, arise. under which the gyrusmay be advantageously used in conneet-ion with an ordinary spark arrester, to perfect the operation thereof, or a screen of foraminous material of any suitable known design may be interposed in the path of the products of combustion before they enter the gyrus, as by providing front and rear sheets `of wire netting or perforated plate, 25. and side sheets, 27, extending from the exhaust pipe to the diaphragm or deflecting plate, 23, and to the front and sides of the smoke box. as indicated rin dotted lines in Figs. 1 and 2. To the same end, the vanes, 28, of the gyrus may be supplemented by foraminous screens, 28, as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. which are set at such an angle that the larger particles of the `solid products of combustion will, during their rotation exterior to the gyrus, strike against Tlie screens, 28a, are preferably set at such distance from the vanes as to provide openings between themselves and the vanes equal 'toy the openings between the vanes, so as to provide ample area if the screens should become clogged with cinders.

.Ls shown in Fig. 7, there'may be substituted for the screens, solid defiecting plates, 28". which will effect a reversal of thc current of products of combustion exterior to the gyrus, and, as shown in Fig. 7a, said dotnet-ting plates may be made integral with the vanes, .so as to provide vanes, 28C, in the foi-1n of the buckets of a turbine. Both the vanes and the deiecting plates, when the two are separate, may be of turbine bucket form, as shown in Fig. 7, and the vanes and defiecting plates may be either both attached to the same supporting rings or frames, or the defiecting plates be attached to separate supporting rings, and made adjustable as to the relative openings between themselves and the vanes.

Figs. 8, 9, and l0 show structural modilications in the shape of gyrus vanes, 28', 28g, and 28h, to meet varying conditions in design of smoke boxes to which this apparatus may be applied, the vanes, 28f, and 28g, being enlarged in diametrical pitch to provide sufficient area therethrough where it becomes necessary to reduce the height of the gyrus and the vanes, 28, being constructed with diminishing openings toward the top, so as to admit a gradually lessened amount of the gases from the smoke box prior to entrance into the stack extension, l0. There is usually suflicient distance, in modern locomotive smoke boxes, from the center line of the exhaust pipe and stack to the defecting plate, 23, to afford proper clearance, between the rear of the gyrus and the deiecting plate, to admit of the circulation or rotation of the products of combustion exterior to the gyrus. When, however, this is not the case, as in some locomotives of the older type, the center line of the smoke stack, exhaust pipe, and gyrus should be moved forward suiiiciently far to provide the necessary clearance. This may be done by providing an exhaust pipe havingits upper portion projecting for! wardly from its base, so that the axisv of its discharge opening or nozzle may coincide with the required vertical axis of the stack and gyrus, or the base of the exhaust pipe may be made at an angle to its body, so that its axis of discharge will be forwardly inclined, and the stack and gyrus be set so that their common axis will coincide with the inclined axis of the exhaust pipe. Sufficient room will thereby be provlded for the proper application of the gyruspand while this inclined position of the parts "may be somewhat peculiar in appearance, it has notl been found, in practical service, to involve any disadvantageous or objectionable result, and affords an inexpensive and effective means for the application of my invention in some of the existing constructions of locomotives of comparatively early design.

The function of the gyrus is, first, through the vacuum induced by the exhaust blast jet, to impart a rotating motion to the products of combustion exterior thereto; secondly, to cause their entrainment between the vanes of the gyrus; and, thirdly, to cause their gyrationl within the gyrus vanes, and, through the centrifugal force thus imparted to them, to separate the solid from the gaseous products, the lighter gaseous products being drawn by the vacuum induced by the blast jet, into the exhaust steam column or blast jet, and the heavier solid products being thrown outward by their centrifugal force and rotated or gyrated in close proximity to the vanes of the gyrus, in a' gradually ascending spiral, but being prevented from striking the vanes by the gaseous cushion formed by continuous entrainment between the vanes. The gyrating column of products of combustion is held in rotating suspension and balanced, by the difference in lntensity of vacuum created in the interior of the gyrus and in the smoke box exterior thereto, respectively. The gyration of the solid products of combustion, z'. e., sparks and cinders, continues in a spiral of gradually increasing pitch, within the conical lower extension of the stack, and when they come within the zone in which the exhaust steam column impinges upon the wall of the stack, column, and finally ejected therewith from the stack. Owing' to the rapid rotation or gyration of the solid products of combustion, prior to their contact with the exhaust steam column, and particularly when the exhaust pipe and nozzle of my pending applications before referred to are used in combination with the gyrus (said nozzles themselves imparting a rotating or gyrating ino-i tion to the vblast jet) the products of com.

bustion continue to rotate or gyrate in a spiral of greater increasejof pitch, and are ejected from the stack in a spiral or rating column. r1`he length and perio of travel of the solid products or sparks are increased to such extent,and the sparks by contact, in their gyration, with the wall of the stack, are so retarded and disintegrated that they are thoroughly extinguished before being discharged from thev stack.

In a single gyrus constructed with the interior continuous, the products of combustion passing therethrough are separated into two currents, the upper of which is induced by the vacuum caused by the exterior of the annular blast jet acting in the smoke stack, while the lower one is induced by the vacuum created by the interior of the annular blast jet acting upon the central gas passage of the exhaust pipe and causing a flow of gases they are commingled with saidv p lower sections,

through the entrainment passages of the exposed in the path of the products of comhaust pipe. The difference in intensity of the vacuum so created varies considerably with the force of the blast jet emanating from the annular exhaust nozzle, and also differs in intensity with nozzles of different forms, so that, under different conditions of operation, the zones ucts of combustion through the vanes of the gyrus covered by these two currents varies, and while, in the majority of cases, this has no deleteriousI effect upon the'successful operation of the device, it has been found, with some classes of fuel under certain conditions of operation, that it is advisable to divide the interior of the gyrus into two separate sections vertically, the upper section communicating with the exterior of the annular exhaust column, and the lower section with its interior, so that the zones of action may be clea-rly defined and preordinated. This may be accomplished by insertin a dividing or separator plate, 30, within tie gyrus so as to define the 4zone of entrance of the two currents, as before described, or by constructing a double gyrus having upper and forming separate communication for the two currents induced b the exterior and interior of the annular exhaust jet, respectively, as shown in Figs. 11 to 14 inclusive. l

Variations in form, number, angle and position of the various members of the gyrus and its location with reference to the smoke box, stack, and exhaust pipe, and in their axial angles, also fariations in the form of the exhaust pipes and nozzles, may be made without departure from the spirit or operative principle of my invention. I do not therefore consider it confined or limited to the specific construction shown and described herein. Myinvention is equally applicable to boilers other than locomotives, using 4a blast jet for creating draft upon the fire;

cure by Letters Patent.

1; The combination, with a locomotive smoke box, of an exhaust pipe and nozzle, a stack, and a separator for imparting gyration to the products of combustion, consisting of a plurality-of vanes or blades surrounding the exhaust nozzle and' disposed with their general lines of direction approximately tangential to circles concentric with the exhaust pipe and stack, as herein specified as a gyrus interposed between, and connected to, the exhaust pipe and stack, respectively.

2. The combination, witlr a locomotive smoke box, of an exhaust pipe, a stack, and ai plurality of vanes surrounding and posed approximately tangential to circles concentric with, the exhaust pipe, and formforth, intering a gyrus as herein set I claim as my invention and desire to se-V of entrance of the prodi smoke box, of an exhaust pipe,

comprising a plurality disbustion and connected to said exhaust pipe and stack respectively, and through which the products of ,combustion are entrained and caused to gyrate by the action of the blast jet.

El. The combination, with a locomotive astack, and a gyrus consistlng or blades surrounding the exhaust nozzle and disposed lwith their general lines of direction approximately tangential to circles concentric with the exhaust pipe and stack, said gyrus being interposed in the path of the roducts of combustion between said smoke hex and stack and connected to said exhaust pipe and stack,

4. The combination, smoke stack, exhaust respectively.

with a locomotive ipe, and nozzle, of a yrus consisting of a plurality of vanes or blades surrounding the exhaust nozzle and disposed with their general lines of direction approximately tangential to circles concentric with the exhaust pipe and stack, as herein set forth, said gyrus being connec-ted to the exhaust pipe and stack and adapted to entrain and gyrate the products of combustion within said stack by the vacuum created by the exhaust jet.

5. The combination, with a locomotive smoke box, of a smoke stack, and an exhaust pipe having connected thereto 'a gyrus as herein set forth, composed of a plurality of vanes surrounding the exhaust pipe and disposed approximately tangential to circles concentric thereto, so as to impart a gyrating motion to thev products of combustion after their 4entrainment between said vanes, by the vacuum caused by the exhaust jet.

6. The combination, with a locomotive smoke box, of a smoke stack, and an exhaust pipe connected to and surrounded by a separator or gyrus as herein set forth, of vanes disposed approximately tangential to circles concentric with the exhaust pipe, vacuum produced by the exhaust jet will entrain the products of combustion through openings 4between the vanes and impart a gyrating motion thereto, causing the separation, by centrifugal force, of the solid prodof a plurality of vanesI so -that the ucts of cinders and s arks from the gaseous products of combustion and separating and prolongin the travel of the solid products by centri ugal force, after passing therel through, by th haust jet. v

8. A separatoror gyrus, as herein set forth, for locomotive smoke boxes, comprising a plurality of upwardly extending tangentially disposed vanes, surrounding the exhaust nozzle, into which the products of combustion are entrained and gyrated therein by the Vacuum caused by the exhaust jet.

9. The combination, with a locomotive smoke box, of a smoke stack, an annular l exhaust pipe provided With passages for the ent-rainment of a portion of the products' of combustion, a lower gyrus consisting of a plurality of vanes or blades disposed with l their general lines of direction approximately tangential to circles concentric with the exhaust pipe and stack, as herein set forth, said lower gyrus surrounding said entrainment passages .and being connected to said exhaust pipe, andan upper gyrus I I l l consisting of a plurality of slmilarly disposed vanes or blades, surrounding the annular discharge of the exhaust pipe, and

e vacuum caused bythe exearooa connected to the stack respectively.

l0. The combination, with a locon'iotive smoke box, of a smoke stack, an annular exhaust pipe provided with passages for the entramment and discharge of a portion of the products of combustion, a gyrus consisting of a plurality of vanes or blades disposed with their general lines of direction approximately tangential to circles concentric With the exhaust pipe and stack, as herein set fort-h, said gyrus being connected to the exhaust pipe and 'stack respectively, partition or separator plate disposed within said gyrus for dividing it into upper and lower sections and separating the currents of the products of combustion -induced by, and diverting oneI portion to the exterior and the other to the interior of,

and exha ust pi pe,

the annular exhaust jet Within said stack.

4, i JOHN RLAYER. Witnesses: 0. C. MYERS,

WM. SEMPLE. 

